NORTH SALEM, N.Y. - Three of North Salem’s own were among those receiving a 2026 Woman of Distinction award from state Assemblymember Chris Burdick.
Honored at a ceremony at the Chappaqua Performing Arts Center on May 14 were Carol Goldberg, Janice Hellwinkel, and Amy Licht.
Goldberg, who passed away unexpectedly in March at 81, was Burdick’s first posthumous awardee.
Her award was accepted by one of the people who nominated her, North Salem Councilwoman Katherine Daniels.
(North Salem Supervisor Warren Lucas, Pound Ridge Supervisor Kevin Hansan, and Mount Kisco Deputy Mayor Karen Schleimer and Village Trustee Tom Luzio were among the local dignitaries in the large crowd.)
Thirty other women from around the legislator’s 93rd District were also recognized for their leadership skills and service to their communities.
Speaking at the program were Westchester County Legislator Erika L. Pierce (herself a 2025 Woman of Distinction), New Castle Town Supervisor Victoria Tipp, and Shirley Acevedo Buontempo, founder of Latino U College Access (LUCA).
(The entire ceremony can be viewed on NYS Assemblyman Chis Burdick’s Facebook page.)
“I am in awe of the women we’re honoring tonight. Our communities are stronger because of them,” said Burdick in his introductory remarks.
GOLDBERG
Calling Goldberg “a pillar of the community,” Burdick noted that she launched the North Salem Open Land Foundation and was its president for 15 years.
Goldberg’s work with the NSOLF helped save numerous parcels of land through conservation easements including one on the professional horse trainer, music lover, avid gardener, and antique dealer’s own property, Artemis Farm, which she named after the Greek goddess of the hunt.
“Carol is North Salem,” said Open Land Foundation trustee and North Salem Deputy Supervisor Peter Kamenstein when nominating Goldberg. “She is everything we hope and stand for because she is filled with the grace and love of life.”
The honoree brought, he added, that “same passion and dedication” to her role as a director of the North Salem Bridle Trails Association, another champion of the preservation of open spaces.
“North Salem would not be the same without Carol,” wrote Daniels. “She represents so much of what we are as a town. And we are indeed indebted to her for what we have become.”
HELLWINKEL
Hellwinkel, a former president of the North Salem Lions Club, continues to support the organization’s charitable efforts, Burdick said.
She was a Girl Scout leader and helped establish a scholarship fund.
She is a member of the North Salem League, a group that had provided food and clothing to less fortunate families. The Lions still help supply gift cards to needy folks during the holiday season.
Hellwinkel supports the American Legion’s Memorial Day Parade Committee and worked with its Ladies Auxiliary.
Her dedication to community service has been recognized numerous times, including with a citation from the state Assembly for her work with Art Against Abuse, a certification of special recognition from Congress, and the Melvin Jones Fellowship, the highest honor awarded by Lions Club International.
The MJF recognizes individuals who have demonstrated exceptional humanitarian service, generosity, and compassion.
In 2012, Hellwinkel was named a Woman of Distinction by then state Sen. Greg Ball, who had previously served in the state Assembly.
LICHT
North Salem resident Licht, a clerk for Bedford’s Justice Court, was nominated as a Woman of Distinction by Bedford Town Clerk Alexandra “Allie” Whalen, and Bedford Town Justice Jodie Kimmel.
According to Burdick, she “plays a critical role in ensuring the smooth and efficient operation of the court.”
Licht’s responsibilities are “extensive and fast paced yet she consistently approaches her work with professionalism, patience, and compassion” and she is known for “going above and beyond to ensure that any person who enters the courtroom is treated with respect and care,” nominators said.
She and fellow clerk Amy LeFevre “form the backbone of the Bedford Justice Court,” wrote Kimmel, adding that she “would be lost without them.”
(LeFevre couldn’t be honored that evening as well because she lives outside of Burdick’s district.)
Whalen wrote that Licht “exemplifies the spirit of public service through unwavering dedication to the residents of Bedford and the many individuals who’ve had passed through the court.”
PIERCE
Pierce's speech about the contributions of women highlighted recent gains they’ve made in the political realm but also underscored the need for more female representation on both the state and national levels.
She also addressed the wage gap, which is far more impactful for women of color, and decried any attempts to deny women the right to care for their own bodies or plan their families.
Some may brush off things such as childcare, domestic violence, maternal and children’s health, education, disabilities, and hunger as “women’s issues,” Pierce noted, making air quotes, but they are all “incredibly important” to everybody.
Women “truly make an enormous difference in our communities” by advocating for and supporting the issues that have the “most direct” impact on quality of life.”
“We teach. We heal. We feed. We care. We invent. We design. We lead,” Pierce said, noting that women often do this while caring for both their children and elderly parents.
Folks like her turn up at the WOD awards ceremony year after year not only to support the women that they know, but also to hear stories about the women they don’t.
Honorees aren’t there for a pat on the back, either.
“Because in addition to all these other things, when you ask a woman to come to the microphone to be honored, they’re still more likely to point out somebody else in the room and the incredible achievements that they have made than to speak about their own,” she said.
Pierce also thanked the “amazing women” behind Burdick.
“Literally and figuratively, they are what makes his office sing,” she said referring to Burdick’s chief of staff, Heather Meiko Lackey, who had opened the ceremony with a beautiful rendition of “America the Beautiful.”
Pierce concluded by asking folks to remember the famous quote about American actress and dancer Ginger Rogers: “She did everything Fred Astaire did. She just did it backwards and in high heels.”
ACEVEDO BUONTEMPO
Acevedo Buontempo, a Somers resident, founded LUCA in 2012. The White Plains-based nonprofit addresses educational inequities and provides first-generation, low-income Latino students with the resources and guidance to navigate higher education.
She thanked Burdick for “being an incredible ally” and Pierce and Tipp for creating a “space that celebrates purpose, service, and community.”
The Women of Distinction honorees are making an impact in many areas, education, health care, government, business, law, and the environment to name a few.
“These are women who show up for others even when life asks so much of them personally,” Acevedo Buontempo said, crediting them for “making our communities stronger often quietly, persistently, and without seeking recognition.”
LUCA, which started with two Fox Lane High School students, now assists families in eight Westchester school districts.
She estimated that 1,000 students have participated in the program so far.
“I have had the privilege of watching students open college acceptance letters with tears in their eyes and shared in the joy of their parents as they realize that, for the first time, college was truly possible for their child,” Acevedo Buontempo said, noting that many of LUCA’s scholars have returned to serve their hometowns as educators, nurses, advocates, businessmen, professionals, and PhD candidates.
“Tonight isn’t simply about accomplishments or impact, it’s not about me or this organization, but something deeper. It’s about women who choose courage over comfort, compassion over indifference, and hope over cynicism. Women who understand that they can contribute in both big and small ways,” she said.
“Making our community stronger isn’t about our individual achievements but about lifting others up,” Acevedo Buontempo added.
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